Thread cutter for box looms



June 4, 1929. TURNER 1,715,963

THREAD CUTTER FOR BOX Looms Filed Dec. 6, 1927 h J JUN Patente'd June 4, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,715,963 PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD G. TURNER, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON 8a KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

Application filed December This invention relates to improvements in thread cutters of the type located on the drop box end of multi-shuttle looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide a simplified control for a cutter of this type which shall be effective to operate the cutter in all positions .of the lay.

In application Ser. No. 221,589 filed by Bridges there is set forth athread cutter mounted on the lay adjacent the drop box end of the loom and controlled by the pattern mechanism to sever the thread each time a change in shuttles occurs. Mechanism of the type set forth in that application must be controlled by some device which is independent of the swinging of the lay back and forth inasmuch as the pattern mechanism is mounted on the loom frame and does not partake of the back and forth motion of the lay. It is an important object of my present invention to provide a connection between the pattern mechanism and the cutter which will accurately transmit the indication from the pattern mechanism to the cutter but which will operate independently of the fact that the lay moves back and forth.

It is a more particular object of my invention to employ a flexible substantially tubular device to guide a pressure transmitting wire operatively connected to .the pattern mechanism and cutter, one end of the flexible device being connected to the lay and moving therewith and the other end thereof being in fixed relation relatively to the suport for the pattern mechanism.

TVith these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have shown a convenient embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a loom provided with drop boxes and having my improved form of cutter and operating device therefor, I

Fig. 2 is a detailed front elevation on an enlarged scale taken in the direction of arrows 2 2 Fig. 1, with parts in section,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view taken in the cirection of arrow 3, Fig. 2, r Fig. 1 is a vertical section on line 4- of Fig. 2,

lay mounted 6, 1927. Serial N0. 238,187.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and v Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1 I have provided a loom frame 10 having a top or crank shaft 11 which receives a rotation each pick of the loom. A bevel pinion 12 secured to the top shaft meshes with a bevel. gear 13 of twice its size secured to an upright shaft l l to give the latter a complete revolution every second pick of the loom. Secured to the upper end of the vertical shaft is a Worm 15 which meshes with a worm wheel 16 mounted on ashaft 17 and rigid with a pattern chain cylinder 18. A pattern chain 19 having high and low links 20 and-21, respectively, is given a step by step movement every alternate pick of the loom by the cylinder 18. An indicating lever 22 pivoted as at 23 to fixed structure is located to be raised by the high ball 20 and to be lowered by the low link 21. It is to be understood that the pattern mechanism set forth herein is effective through intermediate mechanism not shown to control the vertical position of a drop box rod 24 which moves back and forth with the lay 25. The latter is driven through a link 26 connected by mechanism not shown to the crank shaft 11 so as to have a complete back and forth motion each pick of the loom. The lay is arranged to accommodate a plurality of shuttles two of which are shown herein at S and S. The lay may be supported by lay swords 26 and move around a rocker shaft 27 as a center. The matter thus far described is of common construction in drop box looms and forms no part of my present invention.

My improvements relate more particularly to a cutter mechanismmounted on the lay adjacent the drop box end thereof and in carrying my invention into elfect I secure to the front wall of the lay a bracket 30 having feet 31 by means of which the same may be secured to the lay by bolts 82. The bracket has a section 33 spaced from the front wall of the lay and provided with a horizontal slot 3% through which projects a bolt 35 shown more particularly in Fig. 3. Said bolt extends through the vertical foot 36 of a supporting stand 37 and adjustment of said stand toward and from the selvage of the cloth and the shuttle boxes may be made by reason of the belt 35 and slot 3%. Section 53 fits in a the cloth being woven.

slot 36' in foot 36 to prevent angular motion of the stand about bolt 35. The location of the stand 37 is determined by the width of The stand has an upwardly projecting horn 38 having a stud 39 which receives the left end of a tension spring 40 as viewed in Fig. 4. The right end of said spring is attached to a second stud 41 mounted on a lever 42 which is pivotally supported by a pivot screw 43 shown more particularly in Fig. 5. Said screw 43 is threaded into the support 37 and is held thereto by lock nut 44. The stand 87 and the pivot screw support the cutting and clamping elements about to be described.

A relatively fixed cutter blade 45 is mounted on the screw 43 and is held against rotation about the latter by means of pin 46 projecting therethrough and secured in the stand 37.

The movable cutter 47 may be formed as part of the lever 42 and has a cutting edge which in its lowermost position is above the pin 46 so as not to interfere with the latter. A clamp 48 is formed substantially as shown in Fig.

5 and has an opening 49 which receives a washer 50 passing therethrough and engaging the movable cutter 47. The pin 46 also extends through the clamp 48 to restrain angular movement thereof about the screw 43.

In order to hold the movable cutter against the fixed cutter I provide a compression spring 51 between the head of the screw 43 and the collar 50 so that the latter will bear directly against the movable cutter and hold the same in proper engagement with the fixed cutter so that the thread will be severed at the time the device operates. The clamp 48 is held in proper position by a leaf spring 52 the lower end of which is secured to the stand 37 by means of screws 53 as shown more particularly in Fig. 4. Said leaf spring holds the clamp 48 against the ad'iacent face of the movable cutter and the clamp is free to float as it were on the pin 46 and the collar or washer 50 as is set forth in co-pending application Ser. No. 233,700 filed by Turner and Payne. I have described but one form of cutter and clamp, but as regards, certain aspects of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the particular type of cutter and clamp set forth herein.

In order to control the times of operation of the cutter from the pattern mechanism I attach to the latter as at a relatively stiff pressure transmitting wire 61 which extends downwardly through a closely coiled spring 62 forming in effect a flexible substantially tubular sheathing element. The forward end of said wire 61 is attached to the lever 42 as at 63. Said spring or sheath 62 has the upper rear end thereof held by a clamp 64 in fixed position relatively to the pattern mechanism and said spring 62 extends forwardly and below the lay and upwardly to be received by a boss 65 projecting forwardly from the stand 37. The manner of attaching the element 62 to the boss 65 is shown in detail in Fig. 6 where it will be seen that said boss 65 is provided with internal threads 66 of relatively coarse pitch the distance between adjacent threads being greater than the distance between successive convolutions of the spring elements 62. The latter is threaded into the threads 66 which cause a slight separation of the coils so that the upper forward coils of the element 62 are placed under a strain which causes them to grip the threads 66 to hold the sheath against angular movement. In this way the sheath is held in fixed position relatively to the center about which lever 42 swings. By turning the spring 62 the longitudinal position relatively to the boss 65 may be varied. If desired the rear clamp 64 may be made similar to the projection 65.

In operation the cutter will be normally closed with the spring 40 holding the lever 42 in raised position. At the time of a shift in the active shuttle one of the high elements 20 will come under the lever 22 to raise the latter and the rear part of wire 61 will be moved upwardly and the forward part downwardly. This results in a rocking of lever 42 around the screw 43 in a clockwise direction to some such a position as that indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The continued operation of the loom brings the thread under the movable cutter and also moves the chain element 20 from under the lever 22 so that the latter may be lowered by the combined action of gravity and the tension spring 40 to restore the parts to the full line position shown in Fig. 4. For a more detailed operation of the correct time for the operation of the cutter and the relation between the cutter and the pattern mechanism reference may be had to the aforesaid Bridges applica tion. The thread will be clamped between the element 48 and the movable cutter 47 and will be held in this position so as to require paying off of yarn from the shuttle when it again becomes active, the device operating to hold the thread until a newly active shuttle has been in action long enough for the filling thereof to be bound into the fell of the cloth.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple form of cutter and that the connection between the pattern mechanism and the cutter is flexible and is in no way affected by the back and forth movement of the lay during the normal operation of the loom. It will further be seen that the connection comprises a coil spring sheath through which projects a pressure transmitting wire and that said sheath is threaded into a retaining boss provided with threads of such pitch as to place successive convolutions of a spring under abnormal strain to prevent angular movement of the spring with respect to its supporting structure. It is possible,

however, to turn the spring 62 relatively to the boss to eliect adjustment of these parts.

Having thus described my invention it will be apparent that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is: I

1. In a thread cutter for a loom having pat tern mechanism and a lay to move back and forth, a cutter mounted on the lay, a-hollow member havin a portion secured to a fixed part of the loom, and a flexible connection passing through the hollow member to engage the pattern mechanism and said cutter to cause operation of the cutter from the pattern mechanism independently of the motion of the lay.

2. In a thread cutting mechanism for a loom having a pattern mechanism and a lay to move back and forth, a cutter mounted on the lay, a coil spring having one end fixed with respect to the lay and having the other end fixed relatively to the pattern mechanism, and an operating element operatively connected to the pattern mechanism and cutter and extending through the coil spring and effective to communicate movement from the pattern mechanism to the cutter to cause operation of the latter.

3. In cutting mechanism for a loom, a lay to move back and forth, a thread cutter movably mounted on the lay, a control device mounted independently of the lay and in a relatively fixed position, and a flexible control element including two members one of which moves within the other and is operatively connected to the operating device and the cutter to cause actuation of the latter independently of the motion of the lay.

4. In a thread cutting mechanism for a loom having a pattern mechanism and a lay to move back and forth, a cutter movably mounted on the lay, a lever operatively connected to the cutter to. cause actuation of the latter, a flexible substantially tubular member having one end fixed to the lay and the other end fixed relatively to the pattern mechanism. and an operating member extending through said tubular memeber and operatively connected to the pattern mechanism and said lever of the cutter to cause'aetuation of the cutter by the pattern mechanism independently of the motion of the lay.

5. In a thread cutting mechanism for 'a loom having a pattern mechanism and a lay to move back and forth, a thread cutter mounted on the lay and having a relatively movable part, a closed coil spring having one end fixed relatively to the lay and having the other end fixed relatively to the pattern mechanism, an operating wire extending through said spring and operatively connected to the pattern mechanism and the movable part of the cutter, and means to hold certain of the coils of the spring expanded to resist movement of the spring relatively to the thread cutter.

6. In a thread cutting mechanism for a loom having a pattern mechanism and a lay to move back and forth, a cutter mounted on the lay and having a part movable relatively to the lay, a closed coil spring, holding means for one end of said coil spring mounted on the lay, other holding means to hold the other end of the spring fixed relatively to the pattern mechanism, an operating wire extending through said coil spring and operatively connected to the pattern mechanism and the movable part of the cutter, one of said holding means including a part having threads cut therein so constructed that the distance be tween successive threads is greater than the distance between successive coils of the spring member when the latter is normal, sai threads separating certain of the coils of the spring member to place said coils under tension to resist angular movement of the spring relatively to the corresponding holding means.

7. In a thread cutting mechanism for a loom having a pattern mechanism and a lay to move back and forth, a cutter mounted on the lay and having a part movable relatively to the lay, an operating wire having one end operatively connected to the pattern mechanism and having the other end operatively connected to the moving part of the cutter, and a flexible member through which the wire extends, the ends of said flexible member being attached one to the lay and the other fixed with respect to the pattern mechanism.

8. In a thread cutting mechanism for a loom having a pattern mechanism and a lay to move back and forth, a thread cutter mounted on the lay and having a relatively movable part, a coil spring having one end fixed relatively to the lay and having the other end fixed relatively to the pattern mechanism, an operating wire extending through said spring and operatively connecting the pattern mechanism and the movable part of the cutter to cause actuation of the latter by the pattern mechanism, and holding means for one end of said spring effective to per manently hold certain of the coils of the spring in abnormal position and under strain to prevent movement of the spring relatively to the means. a

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

RICHARD G. TURNER. 

